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Comment by gascan | Hacker News Reader

For all the people in this thread musing that our ancestors had it good- a little risk, sure, but plenty of fulfillment & meaning- I can't help but wonder if the stigmatization on the left & among techies of serving in the military, could have unintended consequences.

I've never served, but if you want to live in a small tight knit group, live adventurously with real danger and do physically grueling work and get your hands dirty- you still can.

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The military’s purpose in the US is far from meaningful unfortunately.

Go into the fighting forces and it’s endless war against fake enemies that does nothing to help the nation. Come home broken, with terrible support. If you’re badly broken enjoy winding up on the streets in your mid twenties with PTSD and no future.

Or for techies, maybe you’d go into the clandestine services and then find it’s massive overreach, spying on your own citizens, and building the tools to bring about dystopia.

It’s a pity because otherwise you’re right. And it should be as you say. It’s just that’s not what our military is sadly.

Trade depression and anxiety for ptsd, depression, and anxiety or a possible early death? Sounds like a terrible solution to me.

There is something to be said about left wing political beliefs being correlated with unhappiness. What causes what though is up for debate.

http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2008/10/23/republicans-still-...

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